M A G I C I A N

"For those who do not believe, no explanation will suffice,

For those who DO believe, no explanation is necessary."

As early as the age of eight, I became aware of MAGIC. I could not believe that anyone could acquire this gift simply by reading a book or talking to someone who was a magician. It's more than just a skill. It has taken me over 45 years to get to this level of clarity and awareness where I can share what I have learned.

Since my childhood, magic has held a certain fascination that I cannot explain with mere words. I just know that I cannot live a full, colorful life without it. I started performing when I was a seven year old boy singing in a boy choir. It was a family tradition to watch "The Ed Sullivan Show" on Sunday evenings. There was always acrobats, jugglers, and magicians on the show. One image that stuck in my mind was the magician who pulled several dozen fully lit light bulbs, all strung together, out of his mouth! How was that possible? I knew this was something that I HAD to do. I saw my first LIVE performance of magic around the same time. His name was Hans Moretti. He came to my elementary school in Dyersburg, Tennessee and did a full hour of the most amazing magic I had ever seen. After the show, instead of leaving with my classmates, I sneaked backstage and begged the magician to please show me one more trick. He was impressed that I didn't beg him to show me HOW a trick was done. He showed me one more trick, then he taught it to me! It was the old "nickel-from-behind-the-ear" trick. He said in a thick European accent, "Do not show anyone until you have practiced in mirror, and that you can fool yourself." I promised him I would do what he said. That day changed my life forever. I never get tired of showing a child a simple magic trick that, to him/her, is the most amazing thing they have ever witnessed.

During my college years, I was always trying to balance my academic education as a music student with that of a performing magician. That's a trick in itself! These days, I'm performing in a more Victorian style that most audiences just don't get to see anymore. The name of Houdini conjures up familiarity with most everyone. But names from that era of magic, such as Harry Kellar, Howard Thurston, Alexander Hermann, John Nevil Maskelyn, and Johann Nepamuk Hofzinser are most certainly unfamiliar names. This time in magic is what I would call "The Golden Age of Magic". Things were changing in the world during this time. These aforementioned performers were most certainly game-changers. Their magical performances are legend among those who proudly call themselves magicians. I have taken the task of studying, learning skills, and presenting magic in the language of the period, and transporting audiences back to the 19th century.

About 10 years ago I discovered some hidden magic that was buried in books and manuscripts from the 19th century. These magical effects haven't been seen in over a hundred years and I knew that this was something special. I started working on them and developed a show called "The Mesmerist", that is based on 19th century magicians and those beautiful, yet baffling, effects created by "conjurors" from the Victorian period. It's something that most laymen, and magicians, haven't seen ... UNTIL NOW.